In the dissertation, a theoretical synthesis and scientific solution is presented regarding the problem of tolerance to uncertainty as a psychological resource for the subjective well-being of student youth under conditions of increased social instability and uncertainty due to the war initiated by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The relevance of the study is emphasized by the rise in instability, unpredictability, and uncertainty, resulting from the ongoing full-scale war by Russia against Ukraine, which impacts the health and psychological well-being of various social groups, particularly youth. Despite variations in definitions, a core invariant was identified that synthesizes the diverse psychological interpretations of phenomenon well-being. Subjective well-being, as an integrative socio-psychological construct, is viewed as an emotionally evaluative attitude of an individual toward their life, self, and relationships with others. This is subjectively expressed through satisfaction with different aspects of one’s being, life as a whole (subjective well-being), self-satisfaction, a predominance of positive emotional states (emotional well-being, as a feeling of happiness), and serves as a foundation for positive functioning, autonomy, personal potential development, and self-realization (psychological well-being).
It is noted that in conditions of uncertainty, the psychological resources of the individual appear as a kind of means of transformation of the perception of such conditions, initiation of behavior and, accordingly, play a key role in mastering them and maintaining psychological health and well-being. In this context, tolerance to uncertainty is considered a central concept. Based on a synthesis of theoretical research, a theoretical model was developed to illustrate the impact of tolerance to uncertainty on youth subjective well-being. In this model, tolerance to uncertainty is viewed as a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing a range of attitudes toward uncertainty–from negative (intolerance) to positive (tolerance). It is regarded as a personal trait that involves assessments, ranging from positive to negative, and interpretations of uncertainty–as an opportunity or a threat. This tolerance influences how uncertainty is emotionally perceived (positively, neutrally, or negatively) and how one responds behaviorally–whether by avoiding or adapting to uncertain situations, which in turn affects subjective well-being as an integrative socio-psychological construct.
The empirical study was conducted through a systematic implementation of a series of interrelated tasks within conceptually and logically coordinated research blocks, involving tasks of varying complexity and methods of obtaining empirical data.
The study included 576 participants–students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees at higher education institutions across various cities in Ukraine: Lviv, Lutsk, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Uzhgorod, Chernihiv, Sumy, Hlukhiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv. The survey was conducted from March to May 2023 using Google tools.
Based on the results of the empirical research, the characteristics of tolerance to uncertainty that determine, that is, exert the greatest influence on the subjective well-being of student youth, were determined and tolerance to uncertainty was empirically confirmed as a psychological resource of the subjective well-being of student youth. The essence of uncertainty tolerance as a psychological resource of the subjective well-being of student youth lies in the ability and ability of young people to effectively act and make decisions in conditions of incomplete or contradictory information; in the tendency to experience positive emotions in uncertain, unpredictable, unstructured and ambiguous situations, to perceive them not as a threat, but as challenging, as an opportunity for one's own realization, which enables proactive response in situations of uncertainty.
Key words: subjective, psychological, emotional well-being, health, uncertainty, tolerance to uncertainty, resources, coping, behavioral strategies, reflection, value determination, definiteness of political and economic spheres of life, orientation, development potential, emotional stability, competence, youth, educational environment, psychological support, war.
